Avs Game 12 Grades - Big Guns Lead the Way

The Avs got contributions from all their big guns tonight, and put a season high 42 shots towards the Flames net on their way to a 6-3 victory.

How did each player perform?  Let’s find out…

Tyson Barrie (B) – Three assists for Barrie, and he was much more active jumping into the play.  The Avs will not be successful with him sitting back.  His defensive zone work was still not great, as the Flames got a lot of shot attempts with him out there, but when he’s joining the rush like he was tonight, he changes the dynamic of the team.

Francois Beauchemin (C) – I understand he had a few assists, but I didn’t like his game tonight, specifically his turnovers.  He had a few moments in this game where he gave the puck right back to the Flames, and one of them led to the third goal for the Flames.  One thing I really like about his game is that he’s one of the few Avs defensemen who understands how to break up a cycle.

Blake Comeau (C+) – Like the majority of the team, Comeau had a really rough 1st period, but he got better as the game went on.  He threw a big hit on Frolik in the 2nd period, and started putting the puck towards the net more.  That’s what he needs to do more of.

Matt Duchene (A-) – The puck was going to start going in eventually for Duchene.  The team was only shooting 1.59% with him on the ice coming into tonight.  That wasn’t going to continue much longer.  He put 6 shots on net, and was rewarding with a few goals just by going to the net.  Hopefully it gets his swagger back.  For the second straight game, his line ended up with positive possession numbers.  He was burned really badly on the Flames second goal, but other than that, was solid defensively.

Dennis Everberg (C) – The third line looked better once he was moved to it, but he didn’t do anything differently.  He had a scoring chance in the second period but he really needs to hit the net on those.  He did the same thing against Tampa, shooting high and wide on a 2 on 1.  I imagine he’ll stick on that 3rd line again come Thursday.  He’s one of the Avs better wingers at clearing the defensive zone.

Brandon Gormley (C+) – I thought it was a pretty average to slightly above average game for Gormley.  He took a penalty in the second period, but I’m not quite sure he really did anything wrong there.  He made some really nice defensive plays with his stick, but he wasn’t getting any puck support from his teammates so not much came from it.  I’ve said it before, but I hope he sticks in the lineup.

Mikhail Grigorenko (B+) – Grigs played more minutes tonight (almost 15) than he has in any game, and he did his part to earn Roy’s trust.  He was the Avs best possession player (57.14%) and worked his butt off defensively.  He was, once again, a regular on the 2nd PP unit.  When Mitchell returns, my hope is that Roy puts him back on the 4th line with McLeod and Skille.

Nick Holden (C-) – Some really questionable pinches tonight by Holden.  He was really deep in the zone for the first Flames goal, as they ended up with a 2 on 1.  Given how poor a skater Holden is, if he pinches, he has to be absolutely sure that he can keep the puck in.  He was more physical tonight, but his skating was exposed by the quick Flames forwards.

Jarome Iginla (B-) – Let’s get this out of the way: Iginla is a defensive liability at this point in his career.  He was a turnover machine tonight in the defensive zone, and it led to some extended zone time for the Flames.  However, the guy can still make some plays offensively.  His move to pull the puck off the boards for MacKinnon’s game winner was beautiful, and he contributed two goals of his own.  Hard to ask for more offensively from a 38 year old, but he needs to be sheltered a bit more defensively.

Erik Johnson (B) – He was rushing up the ice the first shift of the game, drawing a penalty, and it was a sign of things to come.  Tonight was easily the most active he’s been offensively this year, much like Barrie, and the Avs need that.  It was his 3rd goal of the year off a bomb of a shot, and it makes you wonder why he isn’t shooting more.

Gabriel Landeskog (C) – Another guy who picked up two assists but really didn’t have his best night.  He had some questionable passes tonight, but when he was on, he was on.  His shift shorthanded in the second period was one for the ages, and his effort led to EJ’s goal.

Nathan MacKinnon (A-) – His line didn’t have a great possession game, but it was hardly MacKinnon’s fault, as his wingers have issues defensively.  MacK is incredibly dynamic and is a rising star in the league.  The Avs don’t have a lot of wins this year, but MacKinnon has 3 of their 4 game winning goals.

Cody McLeod (C-) – I don’t think this was a good game for Cody, but he was once again put in a position he should never be in on the 3rd line.  As soon as he moved to the 4th line, he looked better, and the 3rd line looked better without him.

Jack Skille (B+) – Just a fantastic pickup for the 4th line.  His energy is unreal, and his speed creates issues for the other team.  He made a nice move to create a shot before the shorthanded goal, and then proceeded to provide the screen for EJ’s goal.

Carl Soderberg (B) – Sometimes Soderberg gets a little too pass happy out there, but tonight he was better, putting 6 shots on net.  His poise with the puck has become more and more evident as the season has gone on, and he looks so much better playing with skilled linemates.

Ben Street (B-) – He was supposed to be the guy covering for Holden on the Flames first goal, but he got caught pinching himself.  Other than that, I liked his game.  He creates chances offensively, and he was solid in the faceoff circle.

Brad Stuart (D) – To me, Stuart was the worst player on the ice, coming off a decent game for him against the Sharks.  He was fumbling the puck all over the defensive zone and giving the Flames second and third chances because of it.  I’m not sure how willing Roy will be to change the lineup after a big win, but I would take him out on Thursday.

Alex Tanguay (D) – Tanguay was a very close second to Stuart for worst player on the ice.  He is really bad in the defensive zone at getting the puck out, and rarely wins a battle along the boards.  He didn’t provide much of anything offensively tonight, and was not helping the PP.

Semyon Varlamov (C) – Varly has had better nights.  He was beat a few extra times tonight, only to get bailed out by the post and a net coming off right before the puck crossed the line.  The second goal of the game by the Flames was not a good one for him to give up.

The Avs return to the ice on Thursday as they head to Arizona to take on the Coyotes.  The game starts at 7 PM MST.